Sheet-metal trelliswork



March 1,1927. 1,619,518

H.JUNKERS SHEET METAL TRELLIS WORK Filed Nov. 21. I925 55 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 1 19277.

H. JUNKERS sans'r METAL TRELLIS worm Filed Nov. 21, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 /n venfon:

. 1,619,518 March 1 v 1927* H. JUNKERS SHEET METAL TRELLIS WORK Filed Nov. 21, 925

3 Sheets-Sheet 5 30 z III] Z'IIII LII? 52- ,IIIII.

Patented Mar. 1, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HUGO JUNKERS, OF DESSAU, GERMANY.

SHEET-METAL TRELLISWORK.

Application filed November 21', 1925, Serial No. 70,618, and in Germany November 24, 1924.

My invention refers to frame or trellis -work for structures in space such as walls, vaults, roofs and the like, and to the rods constituting such frame or trellis work. It is a particular object ,.of my invention to provi e structures of this kind composed of comparatively thin sheet metal strips and which can be erected in a. simple manner and with a great saving of material.

In contradistinction to the customary tiebeam or roof girder structures, which are as a rule composed of unmanageable and heavy members, the frame or trellis Work according to the present invention is assembled from a plurality of small, mostly uniform elements. Preferably the trellis work according to this invent-ion is composed of a system of quadrangles or triangles, the sides and in some cases also the diagonals of which are formed by the simple sheet metal elements spoken of above, such triangular system being preferable todiamond-shaped systems, which while being useful if composed of comparatively strong wooden laininae resistive against bending and torsional stresses does not lend itself to the construction of a sufliciently rigid trellis work ifits elements are formed of comparatively thin sheet metal strips. 9

In erectin such trellis work the forming of the assem lage points is of particular importance, more especially in the case of a triangular system, in which .a greater number of single strips or rods must be united in each point of junction. According to this invention the assembling of the trellis work can be effected in a simple and time'saving manner.

The rods constituting the trellis work according to this invention are sheet metal strips-with fiat ends bent at an angle to the body proper of the strip in such manner that on the ends of a number of strips being assembled in a point of junction these ends can be superposed directly and can be rigidly connected with each other, for instance by a screw bolt, a rivet or the like extendmg through suitable holes. Preferably the ends of each strip or rod are bent twice, the extreme end portion applying itself against an adjoining strip or rod, while the intermediate end portion is used for assembling). The extreme end portions may of course e used for the same purpose butin the first line they act towards relieving the screw bolts,

rivets or the like from the shearing forces acting on them.

- Preferably the assemblage points are reinforced by means of cover plates, one such plate being placed on the uppermost of'the superposed ends of the panel rods or strips,

pressure on the face of the holes but are transmitted by the lateral faces of the rods in the form' of frictional forces so that an overstraining of the rods at the points of unction is altogether avoided.

The cover plates can also be used for the fixation of separate elements attached to the trellis Work, such as for instance purlins for roofs and'the like. To this end the cover plates are provided on one or both sides with extensions which are bent off sideways and sirve for fixing the purlins and the like. These .purlins' can therefore be arranged either on one or on both sides of the trellis work, the latter construction being advantageous more particularly in connection with roofs, walls and the like which shall'be boarded on both sides.

The rigid connection of the purlins to the assemblage points allowsthe purlins to be utilized also for power transmission within the trellis work itself. This can be effected by arranging the rods forming the elements ofthe trellis work so as to form the sides of quadrangles combined to form a trellis work system, the purlins arranged on either side of the trellis work replacing the diagonal rod in each quadrangle so that this rod can be dispensed with, whereby a great saving in material, weight and costs is obtained without impairing the rigidity of this structure. Preferably the purlins are so arranged that they need only transmit tensional forces; in roofs the purlins are arranged in parallel to the ridge as usual. 7,

In the drawings affixed to this specification and forming part thereof sheet metal rods structure such as shown for instance in Figs.

1 and 2.

- Figs. 5 and 6 are a plan view and end elevation, respectively, of another form of a barrel-vaulted roof, and

Fi 7 is a cross section of one of the assemb age points of the structure. I

Figs. 8 and 9 are a side and end elevation, respectively, of a trellis work wall.

Figs. 10, 11 and 12 are a side elevation, longitudinal section and cross section, re spectively, of one of the rods or strips constituting a trellis work such as shown in the preceding figures, the rod being here drawn to a larger scale. 4

Figs. 13 and 14 are a partial side elevation I and a cross section of the middle portion,

: plainly bers can be arrange respectively, of another form of rod or strip. Fig. 15 is a section'on the line XV-XV in Fi 16.

ig. 16 is a side elevation and 4 Fig. 17 is a sectional plan view on the line XVIIXVII in Fig. 16, of part of a trelliswork with cover plates and purlins fixed to the assemblage points of the rods.

\ Referring first to Figs. 10, 11 and 12, the

panel rod here shown consists in a sheet metal strip 1, the longitudinal edge portions of which are partly folded over or beaded to opposite sides in such manner as to re semble tubes serving to reinforce the middle portion of the rod'and to render it adapted or takin up longitudinal pressure. The ends of the rod are fiat and are bent oft twice at different angles as shown more particularly in Fig. 11 where 2 is the intermediate end portion and 3 is the extreme end portion. In rods used in the construction of vaulted portions 2 are trapezoidal in form incorrespondence to the angular position assumed by the adjoining rods.

The rod illustrated in Figs. 13 and 14 is S-shaped in cross section but its ends are flat and therefore considerably broader than the reinforced middle portion. In consequence thereof the outer parts of the strip which are especially valuable for the purposes of strengthening the trellis work are utilized for joiningthe rods inthe assemblage points whereby the connecting memat a considerable distance from each other and need therefore take up onl correspondingly lower forces.

The brea s at the ends of the rod which trellis work the intermediate end p are required in the construction of vaulted structures (see more particularly Figs. 10 and 13) can be obtained in straight sheet metal strips by upsetting the inner and by stretching the outer marginal portions at the ends of the strips.

Obviously the flat strips here shown may also be replaced by strips of circular section or by tubular strips, the ends of which are flattened.

The trelliswork shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is formed of triangles composed of rods 100 extending parallel to the ridge line of the vault and of rods' 101 and 102 extending at an angle thereto. In the trelliswork according to Figs. 5 and 6 the triangles are formed of a rod 103 extending at right angles to'the ridge line and two rods 104 and 105 extending at an angle thereto. The trelliswork illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9, which forms a vertical wall, is composed of vertical rods 106 and of rods 107 and 108 inclined in different directions.

In the assemblage point shown in Fig. 7

the ends 2 of the outer rods are bent at an angle to the axes of the rods, while the middle rods 103, 103' extend in a straight line, so that here also all the rods are rigidly assembled by their ends being superposed and connected by bolts 9 or thelike.

As shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 7, the flat ends of adjoining rods or strips are assembled and united in the points of junction by means of rivets, screw bolts or the like. Referring more particularly to Fig. 4, which illustrates an assemblage point formed from rods such as shown in Figs. 1014, the flat end portions 2 are perforated and superposed and rivets 9 extend through the perforations and press the ends together. The extreme end portions '3 apply themselves partly against the body portions of adjoining rods or strips 1.

In the structure illustrated in Figs. 15-17 the rods proper form the sides of quadrangles,.four such rods (11, 12, 13, 14, 11', 12, 13, 14 and so forth) being assembled in each point of junction. On the suerposed ends of the rods are placed cover plates 15, 16 and the screw bolts 17, 18 press the cover plates and ends of the rods against each other so firmly that the friction generated between the faces of the rods sufiices for transmitting all forces arising in in the drawing the purlins have a U-sec-' tion and their ends overlap each other in the assemblage points. The purlins 23 and 24 at the same time replace the diagonal rods in the quadrangles so that from a. static point of View the trellis work is again composed of a plurality of triangles.

Obviously the purlins may also have other forms and the outer and inner purlins can have different strength according to the boarding or other forces acting on them.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur 'to a person skilled in the art.

I claim 1. Panel rod comprising a sheet metal strip, a flat end of said rod being bent at an angle and the part adjoining a ongitudinal edge being rolled in channel-like fashion.

2. Panel rod comprising a sheet meta] strip, a flat end of said rod being bent twice at an angle and the part adjoining a longitudinal edge being rolled in channel-like fashion.

3. Panel rod comprising a sheet metal strip, a fiat end of said rod being bent at an angle and the parts adjoinlng the longitudinal edges being rolled in channel-like fashion, the middle portion of the rod having substantially the cross-section of an S.

4. Panel rod comprising a sheet metal strip, a fiat end of said strip extending. at an angle to the main portion of the stri and being besides bent off at an angle to this main portion, this latter portion being reinforced at its longitudinal edges.

5. lrellis work comprising -a plurality of panel rod-s assembled to form the sides of polygons, part of said panel rods having the form of sheet metal strips, the flat ends of said strips being bent at an angle and the parts adjoining a longitudinal edge being rolled in channel-like fashion, the ends of adjoining rods being superposed in the points of junction, and means for pressing said ends together.

6. Trellis work comprising a plurality of panel rods assembled to form the sides of polygons, part of said panel rods havin the form of sheet metal strips, the flat en s of said strips being bent twice at an an lo and the parts adjoining a longitudinal e ge being rolled in channel-like fashion, the ends of adjoining rods being superposed in the points of junction, and means for pressing said ends together. H

7. Trellis work comprising a plurality of panel rods assembled to form the sides of polygons, part of said panel rods having the form of sheet metal strips, the flat ends of said strips being bent at an angle and the parts adjoining a longitudinal edge being rolled. in channel-like fashion, the ends of adjoining rods being superposed in the points of junction, cover plates arranged on the superimposed ends and means for pressing said ends and cover plates together.

8. Trelliswork comprising a plurality of panel rods assembled to form the sides of polygons, part of said panel rods having the form of sheet metal strips, the flat ends of said strips being bent at an angle and the parts adjoining a longitudinal edge being rolled in channel-like fashion, the ends of adjoining rod-s being superposed in the points of junction, cover plates arranged on the superimposed ends, an angular extension on such cover plate, a purlin fixed to said extension and means for pressing said ends and cover plates together.

9. Trellis work comprising a plurality of panel rods and purlins assembled to form the sides and diagonals, res ectively, of polygons, part of said panel re s havin the form of sheet metal strips, the flat en s of said strips being bent at an angle and the parts adjoining a longitudinal edge being rolled in channel-like fashion, the ends of adjoining rods being superposed in the points of junction, cover plates arranged on the superimposed ends, an angular extension on such cover plate, a purlin fixed to said extension and means for pressing said ends and cover plates together.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

- HUGO JUNKERS. 

